Summer solstice, also known as midsummer, is a time to celebrate the season. The Summer Solstice Flute School has welcomed the warmer days and longer nights with concerts and workshops for the past five years.

The school has held past events in Springdale and at the Newpark plaza at Kimball Junction.

Last year, organizers Brent Haines and Nancy Haga moved the school to the Homestead in Midway.

"The Homestead is our forever home,'" Haga told The Park Record. "It's a beautiful venue and perfect for what we do: fill the mountains with haunting Native flute music."

Although the school sessions have sold out, Haga said it is presenting two events — a concert under the stars, which will be start at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, and Native healing workshops that will be held the next day — as gifts to the public.

"The concert will feature the Native Flute School teachers, who are award-winning recording artists in the genre of Native and world flute music," Haga said. "Don't forget to bring a picnic, chairs, blankets and jackets."

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The performers will be Suzanne Teng, Arvel Bird, Joe Young and Kalani Das. Tickets to the concert under the stars are $20, and there will be food provided by the Homestead for purchase.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting nativefluteconcertunderthestars2017.eventbrite.com.

"During the concert, we will have an opportunity drawing for Native flutes and drums," Haga said. "It will be a wonderful and magical evening."

The healing workshops will be held the next day, during the Summer Solstice Flute Festival, and led by Rona Yellowrobe and Kalani Das.

"Using the ancient and contemporary healing practices of music, story, chant and movement, we will find the courage and compassion to release old patterns and claim our birthright of contentment," Haga said. "With a focus on gratitude, we will use music and mindfulness practices to lift burdens and connect with our loving nature. Rona and Kalani are your loving guides for this unique event. "

While entry to the festival is free, each healing session is $44 and reservations can be made by visiting nativehealingworkshop2017.eventbrite.com.

"They will be available for private sessions throughout the day," Haga said.

The flute festival itself will run June 23 and June 24.

"This will be held on the front lawn of the Homestead," Haga said. " There will be vendors and workshops, free flute lessons, flute and drum performances, and music throughout the day.

"We're also going to have a teepee that will serve as the centerpiece of the festival. And that's where we will hold different lessons and workshops."

There will be donation baskets for Peace House, a nonprofit dedicated to wiping out domestic violence in Summit and Wasatch counties, set up at the festival, Haga said.

Morebaskets will collect donations for The Waterbearers, a nonprofit comprised of women who provide water purification systems to communities and families around the world in need of clean water.

"One of these systems costs $50 and can provide purified water for a family of 10 for 15 years," Haga said. "People will be able to learn about the organizations and donate as well."

In addition, there will be two free concerts presented in conjunction with the festival.

An open mic and local players performance will run from 7-9 p.m. on Friday. A sign-up list will be available at the stage.

The second concert is part of the free Homestead Concert Series on Saturday.

"We're brining in Grammy Award-winning, Native American musician and singer Robert Mirabal," Haga said. "This is kind of a grand finale of the festival."

Haga said she is proud of what the Solstice Flute School has accomplished in the past five years.

"There is such a growing interest in learning this music, because it's so simple," she said. "It truly is music from the soul. There is no music to read, and the instrument is transportable. So, it allows people a form of personal expression and personal healing."

Still, Haga said, the music also creates an intimate community of like-minded souls. "We may all come from different walks of life and not have an opportunity to connect in the regular world, but we can all gather in this venue," she said. "When you sit in a circle with these people and share this spiritual and social expression through this intimate music, it creates intense bonds, not only musically but interpersonally."

The Solstice Flute School's Native Flute Festival will start with a concert under the stars at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, at the Homestead Resort in Midway. Tickets are $20. The festival will continue with Native healing workshops, demonstrations and concerts on Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24. Admission is free. For information, visit http://www.solsticeflutefest.com/FestivalEvents.php.